Hack 'n' slash history: Dynasty Warriors 9 PC confirmed

Historical(ish) hack ‘n’ slash Dynasty Warriors 9 [official site] will indeed be released on PC, Koei Tecmo confirmed today. As is the way, Dynasty Warriors 9 will cut through hordes of enemies in a setting based on Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the myth-o-history telling tales of Ancient China. This time, the action is going open-world. Developers Omega Force are also whacking in climbing and grappling hooks, which I will always welcome in games. Here, have a little look in this trailer:

Rather than filter this through a brain which mostly knows Dynasty Warriors from watching other people play, here’s Koei Tecmo to explain shiny new things in 9:

“Augmenting the series’ first true open world is another immersive innovation introduced in Dynasty Warriors 9: the Interactive Action system. Players will be able to fully utilise their surroundings for the first time in the Warriors franchise with the ability to climb buildings and mountains, wield grappling hooks to traverse walls, and make use of objects like oil barrels in battle. These new actions offer a breadth of new possibilities for players to take advantage of while travelling around third-century China, or when caught in the heat of battle!

“Dynasty Warriors 9 introduces exhilarating new combat mechanics to the series’ signature ‘one versus thousands’ style gameplay with the State Combo System. This new system allows players to perform 3 different attack styles – Trigger Attacks, Flow Attacks and Finish Attacks – each dealing progressively more damage. Trigger Attacks allow players to create the start of an explosive combo, leading to Flow Attacks, which adapt to the enemy’s current state. Successful combos allow for a Finish Attack to be performed, delivering a final blow that eradicates any foes caught in its path. These new enhancements aim to create a thrilling and fluid experience unlike any previous entry in the franchise.”

Ah, yes, new features.

Koei Tecmo first announced Dynasty Warriors 9 announced back in December 2016 but only today confirmed a western PC release. This isn’t a surprise, as Koei are releasing loads of their big games on PC these days (heck, the crossover Warriors All-Stars is coming at the end of August), but it’s good to know.